Tim Schafer: publishers aren't evil, But indie community is moving away from PSN, XBLA

[Mr Khan]

Zim said:
I love Tim Schafer however while reading this ALL I could think was ''Good god I wish the publisher had intervened more in Brutal Legend''. What's that? Poorly implemented RTS elements in a game that already has driving and 3rd person hack and slash? Errrr yea let's cut that. And we would have received a much better game for it.

And that's the root of the matter. The power balance must be carefully maintained, but (as i've said many times before) you need someone looking over your shoulder with the power to tell you "no," as a major artist working in a commercial medium.

Publishers should not really have the power to add (because they tend to add things that benefit their interest or that they think will twist the game's appeal in a way it isn't meant to go), but they should have the power to subtract.